Centrifugal clutch.



J. B. WIARD. OENTRIFUGAL ULUTUH. APPLIOATION'IILED JUNE 30. 1910.

Patented July 16, 1912.

. I Witnesses:

Inventor John BWiard, y M14 4 His/Attorney.

v useful fication.

I is to be driven.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. WIARD, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEGTRIGCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented July 16,1912.

Application filed June 30, 1910. Serial No. 569,744. I

Lynn, the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and Improvements in Centrifugal Clutches, of which the following isa speciinvention relates to My centrifugal clutches and has for itsobject a novel arrangement and construction of parts.

My centrifugal clutch is particularly applicable for coupling anelectric motor having a small starting torque, such as a singlephaseinduction motor, to a machine which Heretofore, centrifugal clutcheshave been made with a plurality of clutch members arranged to be thrownoutwardly by centrifugal force to engage the driven member, these clutchmembers being driven by pins or thelike. from the driving member. Sincein such a case the clutching efi'ect varies with the speedof the drivingmember, there will be a tendency on the part of the driven member toslip when it becomes heavily loaded. By my invention I arrange thedriving member so as to positively lock the clutch members to the drivenmember when the clutch *members have been thrown outwardly and engagethe driven member.

- Other features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointedout with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming'a part ofthis specification Fora better understanding of my invention, however,and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be had to thefollowmember lbeing arranged so as to engage the clutch members 3 topositively lock them to the driven 'member 2 when the clutch membershave been thrown -outwardly to engage the driven member.

I have shown my centrifugal clutch arranged to connect an armature 4 ofa single phase induction motor to the shaft on which it is mounted. Thisis one of the uses to which it is particularly applicable. The drivingmember 1 is shown as being made integral with a flange 5. which supportsthe laminations 6 of the armature 4:. This driving member is looselyjournaled on a shaft 7. The driven member 2 is fastened to the shaft 7by means of a key 8, and hasa flange 9 surrounding the clutch member 3.The clutch members form a figure, the normal diameter of which isslightly less than the internal diameter of the flange 9. They fit in arecess 10 in the driving member and are held therein by any suitableyielding means'such as the spring 11 until the driving member 1 hasattained speed.

As clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the driving member 1 is polygonal andpreferably rectangular in cross-section for the purpose hereinafter setforth.

When the armature 4 begins to rotate, it carries with it the drivingmember 1 and the clutch members 3 until the armature has attained nearlyits full speed, when the clutch members 3 are thrown outwardly bycentrifugal force overcoming the tension of the spring 11. These clutchmembers will now grip the flange 9 of the driven member 2 and willrotate the driven member together with the shaft 7. The flying away ofthe clutch members. from the driving member allows the driving member toturn relatively to them and thus the corners of the driving memberengage the interior surfaces 12 of the clutch members and positivelylock them to the flange 9 of the driven member. When the power is thrownoff the motor, the driving member ceases to drive and slows down, itspressure against the clutch 'members is released, and since thecentrifugal force-is not sufficient to hold the clutch members incontact with the flange "9, the spring 11 forces them backin the recessIO-and the shaft is unclutched from the armatu re. I p

I desire it to be understood that my invention is not limited to theparticular construction shown and described, and I aim 1n the-appendedclaims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit ofmy invention. a 7

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is,

1. Ina centrifugal clutch, a driving member, a flanged member to bedriven thereby, a plurality of clutch members arranged to be thrownoutwardly by centrifugal force to engage said flange, and'yielding meansfor holding said clutch member out of engagement with-said flange untilsaid driving member has attained speed, said drivin member beingarranged so as to engage sai clutch members to positively lock them to.the flange when said clutch members have been thrown outwardly to engagesaid flange. M

2. In a centrifugal. clutch, a polygonal driving member, a flan edmemberto be driven thereby, a plurallty ofclutch members arranged to bethrown outwardly by centrifugal force to engage said flange, andlyielding means for holding said clutch mem ers out of engagement withsaid flange until said driving member has attained speed, said drivingmember engaging the interior surfaces of said clutchmembers forpositively locking them to the flange when said clutch members have beenthrown outwardly to engage said flange.

3. In acentrifugal clutch, a p01 gonal driving member having a recess, aanged member to be driven thereby, a plurality of engagement with saidflange until said driv ing member has attained speed, said drivingmember engaging the interior surface of said clutch members forpositively locking themto the flange when saidclutch members have beenthrown outwardly to engage said flange.

4:. In a centrifugal clutch, a polygonal driving member, a flangedmember to be driven thereby, a plurality of clutch members havinginterior surfaces corresponding to the surfaces of the polygonal drivingmember and arranged to be thrown outwardly: by centrifugal force toengage said flange, and yielding means for holding said clutch membersout of engagement with said JOHN B. WIARD.

Witnesses: p 1

JOHN A.v MoMANUs, Jr., CHARLES A. BARNARD.

